Module SOCM945 for 2019/0
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
SOCM945: Philosophy of Science
This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.
Module Aims
To provide a thorough and rigorous discussion of the main issues in contemporary philosophy of science.
To foster techniques of analytical and critical inquiry.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the main realist and anti-realist arguments on the epistemological status of scientific theories; 2. alternative accounts of the nature of scientific theories; 3. the problem of continuity vs. revolutionary change in the history of science, 4. and its philosophical consequences; the main philosophical theories of confirmation and induction; 5. the role of laboratory experimentation in the production of scientific knowledge. 6. Locate all these issues in the wider debate on philosophical theories of knowledge. |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 7. Demonstrate detailed awareness of the methods used by natural and social scientists, and their philosophical 'explication'/justification by philosophers of science. 8. Criticise and evaluate philosophical theories of knowledge-production from a purely logical viewpoint 9. Use empirical and historical case-studies to enrich and criticise philosophical theories. |
| Personal and Key Skills | 10. Construct and evaluate ideas. 11. Formulate and express ideas at different levels of abstraction. 12. Assess and criticise the views of others. |
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar presentations | Throughout term | 1-12 | Verbal feedback |
| Compulsory readings | Throughout term | 1-12 | N/A |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 | 50 | 4,000-5,000 words | 1-12 | Written feedback |
| Essay 2 | 50 | 4,000-5,000 words | 1-12 | Written feedback |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 | Essay 1 (4,000-5,000 words) | 1-12 | Next reassessment period |
| Essay 2 | Essay 2 (4,000-5,000 words) | 1-12 | Next reassessment period |
